Lounge Loves: Hot jam, ‘Colin From Accounts’

Quiet Comfort in the City

Living with Bengaluru’s constant swarm of sounds can be challenging. But I’ve found the right headphones to tune out—the Bose QuietComfort headphones. After a year of using a Boat pair, which were a gift, I upgraded and it was worth it. The noise-cancellation is pure gold; I can listen at low volumes without sacrificing sound quality, and my ears are forever grateful. The Moonstone colour is an understated pastel blue that blends with my wardrobe. When I’m walking around the city, I switch to aware mode to stay alert to traffic. Another plus is the battery life: easily lasting a whole day. I considered the Ultra QuietComfort, but tech subreddits and reviews convinced me the QuietComfort was still the way to go. Sometimes new isn’t necessarily better—just ask anyone eyeing the iPhone 16.

—Ghazal Chengappa

Colin’s story

Thanks to all the attention the new Netflix romcom Nobody Wants This has got, I stumbled upon a brilliant Australian show called Colin From Accounts in one of those “shows that are better than Nobody Wants This” lists. I couldn’t agree more. Colin is a delight—named after a dog who brings an unlikely couple together through a series of misadventures. It is the perfect romcom, which is not just focused on the two protagonists but a rich cast of characters. The show also takes a sly look at society today, exploring a generation gap in dating, dealing with parents who are stuck in time, and the ins and outs of running a microbrewery (the male lead owns one). Over two seasons, it makes you care about these characters, and I don’t love the fact that Season 2 ends on a cliffhanger and I’ll have to wait a whole year to see what happens next.

—Shrabonti Bagchi

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Hanging out with winged friends 

Last Sunday, I found myself at the unlikeliest of places: an aviary in Peeku Park, a petting zoo in Yercaud, Tamil Nadu. The aviary houses exotic birds like cockatoos, macaws, nanday conures, red lorikeets and a pair of pelicans. So, the sight that greets you when you enter the spacious enclosures is a swirl of colours. Bright yellows clash with oranges, greens, bright blues and deep reds. What makes the experience unique is that the birds are not caged. So you get to hold and feed them. If you are thorough city-bred, the idea of an exquisitely pretty sun conure softly landing on your shoulder—or head—can seem scary, but it’s a memory you won’t forget too soon. If you find yourself in Yercaud on a lazy weekend, you know where to go. 

— Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran

Hot jam

Last week, a friend was visiting from Kochi, and instead of banana chips, he brought a chilli-tomato jam from the café French Toast in Ernakulam. Anything with the words preserve, relish or jam on a bottle fills me with a child-like curiosity. This jam is definitely for adults. It’s slightly spicy with a pronounced sweetness and a kick of acidity, making it the most well balanced and versatile condiment in my refrigerator right now. It goes with everything, from croissants to dosas. One day, I had it for all three meals, and now I am scrapping the last bits. It makes me sad because it cannot be ordered online. I will need to go to Ernakulam or wait for my friend to visit again—like the good old days. 

—Jahnabee Borah

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